Writing an Effective Cover Letter: A Marketing Tool for Job Applications, Study notes of Marketing

Download Writing an Effective Cover Letter: A Marketing Tool for Job Applications and more Study notes Marketing in PDF only on Docsity! THE PURPOSE OF A COVER LETTER The cover letter is a formal business letter which is often the first contact with a prospective employer. It serves as an introduction of you and your background experience. Since it is usually the first impression you make on the employer, you want it to be your best. Many employers will not look at a resume that arrives without a cover letter. The cover letter is a marketing tool; it communicates to the employer that you are interested in their position and their company and that you have something valuable to contribute. In certain situations, a well- written cover letter can be more effective than the resume itself. Therefore, do your homework! Before writing your letter, find out as much as you can about the organization and the specific position. This research enables you to better relate your skills and qualifications to the organization and the position. Anyone who can write a grammatically correct letter can write a good cover letter. However, it takes thinking and planning in order to create a cover letter that will set the stage for the employer to accept your resume as something special. Step One: The Introduction Indicate why you are contacting the employer, the position you are applying for, and how you became aware of this position. If you are responding to an position announcement, mention where you saw it. If an individual refers you, definitely mention their name. Step Two: Their Need - Your Experience Let them know that you have know something about their organization, their services or products. Address the hiring need they have and how you specifically meet their qualifications. Here is where your research will pay off. Highlight the best evidence of your qualifications. Convince the reader that what you have is exactly what they want. Do not copy your resume. Step Three: Conclusion and Contact State that you are interested in having an interview. Include where, when, and how you can be contacted; however, the best technique is to be pro-active by telling the employer exactly when you will initiate your follow-up telephone call or email and stick to this date! BUSINESS FORMAT A business format is the most recommended form for the cover letter. The block-style format with all text beginning at the left margin is preferred. Paragraphs are not indented. Handwritten notes are only appropriate for certain thank you notes. Address your cover letter to the individual, business function, or discipline most clearly related to the position for which you are applying. Always try to get the name and job title of the person who could hire you. It is okay to call the Human Resource Department to find out the above information. Your letter and resume are most likely to be read if you are sending them to someone specific. Cover letters that are sent to personnel departments usually do not get read. However, there will be situations where you will not be able to obtain the name of a specific person, so you may want to use a title such as Personnel Director or Selection Committee. WRITING STYLE GUIDE Concentrate on "why" you desire to work in that particular organization or field. Focus on what you can offer the employer rather than what you can gain by working for their organization. Your letter should be original, brief (one page), business-like, and it should be a good example of your ability to write clearly and concisely! Keep your sentences ten to twenty words long. Limit paragraph length to five to seven sentences. Use powerful action phrases to describe accomplishments, qualities and experiences. Try to avoid the overuse of "I." Personalize; reflect your style by balancing professionalism with personal warmth and friendliness. Convey enthusiasm, commitment, and confidence. PRESENTATION Send a clean original signed with black ink; do not use a ballpoint pen. Use the same high-quality paper as you do for your resume. Stay away from bright colors. Use a common font with a professional appearance, such as Bookman, New York, Times New Roman. Keep a copy of your letter on file for future reference. Proofread each letter carefully for proper spelling, syntax, grammar, and typographical errors. Have someone else critique your letter to offer constructive feedback. COVER LETTER FORMAT GUIDELINES Your Name Your Address City, State, Zip Code Date Name of Contact Person, Title Organization/Company Street Address City, State, Zip Dear (Contact Person): Opening Paragraph: Opening salvo, make it good! Establish tone in the first sentence to make the reader want to continue reading. Name the job for which you are applying. Tell how you learned about it. Mention the name of the person (if any) who referred you to the organization. Body Paragraph: This is the critical content section. Knowledge of organization/company is important. Do research! (Why them?) Acknowledge the skills required by the open position. State the skills/strengths you will bring to the job and parallel them to the position. Give examples of your skills and work experience - quantified results, accomplishments, achievements and how they will transfer to the job. Closing Paragraph: Push for personal contact - an interview. Refer to documents enclosed or available, such as your portfolio with resume, reference letters, a reference sheet and, if applicable, writing samples. Assert yourself by telling the contact person you will call him/her on a designated date to set up an interview. Alternatively, state you are available at his/her convenience. Make it very easy for the person to contact you. List your best phone number and email as well as days and times when you can be reached. Sincerely, (Signature) Typed Name COVER LETTER SAMPLE 1: Employment John T. Smith 1600 Campus Road, Box 123 Los Angeles, CA 90041 March 6, 20xx Mr. John Bowman, Vice President California Federal Credit 800 Travis Avenue, Suite 1404 Houston, TX 77002 Dear Mr. Bowman: I am interested in applying for a position within your organization's management training program, where I can strengthen my knowledge and exposure to the consumer finance industry. Your organization was represented at an information session at Occidental College. I plan to pursue a career in financial management and would like to begin my career in banking and consumer finance. From looking at your site on the web, I feel your management program offers a wonderful opportunity to learn both banking and consumer finance. I was impressed by the organization's growth in the past five years, as well as how it is implementing new programs. As current president of Occidental's Senate, I have had the opportunity to strengthen my leadership and organizational skills by planning and coordinating various fundraising and special event activities for the campus community. Through my academic coursework in English and the Liberal Arts, I have also developed strong communicative, analytical, and problem-solving skills which will be necessary not only as a management trainee, but also in a future role as a branch manager. Furthermore, while attending college, I gained experience in customer relations and sales through various part-time positions in retail sales and telemarketing. In addition to these experiences, my interpersonal skills, self-motivation, and willingness to learn will also enable me to be a strong candidate for your excellent management-training program. I have attached my resume for your consideration. I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to further discuss my qualifications. I plan to contact you within the next week to determine the possibility of arranging an interview time. However, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (323) 456-7890 or jtsmith@oxy.edu. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, John T. Smith Enclosure COVER LETTER SAMPLE 2: Employment Ray Johnson 1567 California Avenue, #560 Pasadena, CA 91101 March 20, 20xx Mark Patterson, Section Manager Hewlett-Packard Company 16399 W. Bennett Drive San Diego, CA 92717 Dear Mr. Patterson: I am applying for the position of systems analyst in your San Diego office that was advertised on MonsterTRAK. My friend, John Brown, is employed in the Los Angeles office and highly recommends Hewlett-Packard. Early in my coursework in Physics and Mathematics at Occidental, I began seriously considering future employment with Hewlett-Packard Company. We use a number of your products in our laboratory work. The design, precision, and reliability of these products are impressive. More recently, I noted in a professional computing journal that you are undertaking a new project to apply microcomputers in automatic control systems. Many of my electives were in the fields of control systems and computers, and I worked for three summers in microcomputer applications. I believe that I am well qualified to begin my career employment on your new project; I know that it is directly related to my interests. I have enclosed my resume for your consideration. I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to discuss how my education and experience would be consistent with your needs. I will contact you by phone within five to seven days to discuss the possibility of an interview. If you need to reach me, my phone number is (626) 359-1234 and my email is rjohnson@oxy.edu Sincerely, (Signature) Ray Johnson Enclosure (If faxing, use Attachment instead) THANK YOU LETTER SAMPLE: Following an Informational Interview Your Name Street Address City, State, Zip Code Date Name of Individual Interviewed Position/Title Name of Company/Organization Street Address City, State, Zip Code Dear Mr./Ms. Individual: Thank you very much for the opportunity to discuss the field of physical therapy with you yesterday. Your enthusiasm for your work and career has encouraged me to pursue this field further. Also, thank you for referring me to Ms. Sheila Garcia. I have contacted her and will be working in her office as an aide during my final semester of school. Again, I appreciate your time, honesty, and encouragement. Sincerely, (Signature) Typed Name ACCEPTANCE LETTER SAMPLE Your Name Street Address City, State, Zip Code Date Name of Individual Offering You Employment Company Address City, State, Zip Dear Mr./Ms.: I am very pleased to accept your offer (state offer) as outlined in your letter of (date). (Include all details of offer-location, starting salary, starting date, etc.). (Mention enclosures, applications, employee forms, and other information, if applicable.) I have been very impressed with your organization throughout the interview process and in discussions with your colleagues. I am looking forward to joining (the company name). Thank you for all you have done. Sincerely, (Signature) Typed name